Disney Vs. Nickelodeon: Which Kids Have the Most Drama?

Earlier this month, a Nickelodeon star was busted for DUI, and no, it wasn’t Spongebob Squarepants.

Gigantic actor Ryan Rottman was driving in Hollywood when he was arrested on suspicion of DUI. He had a blood alcohol content of .19—twice over the legal limit.

It seems like there’s a mandatory “troubled artist” phase for child stars transitioning into serious actors. Maybe drug and alcohol abuse is necessary for dealing with all the wacky hijinks that go down on a typical kids’ show. Personally, I don’t see how anyone can watch Yo Gabba Gabba sober.

Who knows why so many child stars go bad, but between Nickelodeon and Disney kids, we couldn’t help but wonder—who’s got the most drama?

(Spoiler alert: Disney wins. By a lot.)

Nickelodeon Okay, so Ryan Rottman screwed up, but where are the rest of Nickelodeon’s stars? Keenan & Kel was a hit Nickelodeon show from 1996-2000. The show was a spinoff of teen sketch show All That and starred Kenan Thompson. Years later, Thompson is one of the funniest cast members on SNL.

Then there’s Nickelodeon star Miranda Crossgrove, from Drake and Josh fame. Like any Disney star, Crossgrove has gone from child actress to mediocre pop musician. But somehow she’s done it without talking about rehab, depression, or self-mutilation. Amazing.

Although she’s the girlfriend Rottman, Victorious star Victoria Justice has managed to stay out of the tabloids as well. Justice starred in Zoey 101 and iCarly as well as a ton of other Nickelodeon series. So far, most Nick stars seem to stay out of trouble.

And then there’s Jamie Lynn Spears. In 2007, Spears announced she was pregnant at the age of sixteen. Because of the controversy surrounding her “glamorized” teenage pregnancy, mixed with claims of statutory rape, Nickelodeon decided to cancel the series.

Disney I’m not sure if it’s because Disney puts too much pressure on its stars or what, but their child actors and actresses are known for controversy.

Probably the most famous of them is Lindsay Lohan, who had a three-film contract with Disney when she was twelve. There’s really no need to rehash all the Lindsay drama we’ve heard over the years. Let’s just say, Disney could have paid her in rehab gift certificates.

We first saw Vanessa Hudgens in High School Musical. Looking back at it now, you’d hardly recognize her. Mostly because she actually has clothes on in that movie. To be fair, Hudgens’ nude photos were leaked by a cell phone hacker. But it coincidentally seemed to happen as her movie was being released and promoted.

Miley Cyrus shed her Hannah Montana moniker, but she gained a whole lot of controversial press when a video of her smoking salvia was released. It’s completely legal, but I guess the public wasn’t used to seeing her in a non-wholesome setting. But come on, something has to get you through the day when you’re the offspring of the dude that sang “Achy Breaky Heart.”